Page 187 of The White King's Favorite

Cessilia nodded, a bit perplexed. She hadn’t seen people react like this to her in a long while. She was also confused by this whole room and the atmosphere. Aglithia stepped forward, facing her father’s cold stare. Either she was used to it, or she didn’t care at all.

“Father. Did you think about my request this morning?”

The Cheshi Clan Leader’s eyes shifted from his daughter to Cessilia and Darsan. She realized he seemed young to have a daughter Aglithia’s age, who was probably as young as herself... and she was his third daughter. He didn’t have blue eyes like his mother, but everything else screamed they were family, and Aglithia too. He was the one with the most visible tattoos, so much it covered more than half of his skin. After a while, he faintly nodded.

“...You may take them there. Mother.”

“I will lead the way,” nodded the old lady, stepping forward.

She grabbed a long white cane that was leaning against the wall, and smiled at Cessilia.

“Let’s head out, Princess,” she said. “We have a lot to show you and not much time!”

She left the room, and after a hesitation, they all followed after her. Once the door was closed, Cessilia couldn’t help but glance back. She had expected better for an interaction with the Clan Leader... especially if she was to convince him to side with them against the Yekara.

“Don’t worry about my father,” said Aglithia, who had noticed. “He’s not as stern as he looks!”

“He doesn’t like the Yekara Clan,” added her grandmother with a chuckle. “This whole situation is a little bit bothersome...”

So they weren’t completely closed off to the issues of the world outside their walls, then... Cessilia felt a bit better hearing this. Yet, the Cheshi Clan elder didn’t seem in a rush. The old lady calmly walked down the corridors, guiding them with a little smile on her lips. Cessilia was about to ask where they were headed to when she suddenly stopped in front of large double doors. To their surprise, both Aglithia and her grandmother clapped their hands, bowed their heads, and stayed silent for a few seconds before they finally pushed the doors.

They opened into a large room, but with an open roof. In front of them, on the ground was a sizable carpet with dozens of little cushions on it, as if this was a place to sit. Beyond that, against the wall, little plates of fresh food were placed, mostly fish and meat, even eggs, perfectly prepared in pretty trays and ready to eat. None of them thought about sitting down or eating, though. On the wall opposite the doors was a very large mosaic that had grabbed all their attention. Cessilia was speechless.

“Sorry about that,” chuckled Elder Olea, pushing the cushions out of the way with her cane. “We just finished the morning lesson with the young ones...”

Cessilia barely heard what she had said. Next to her, even Nana had covered her mouth with her hands. The mosaic was superb and so detailed, the two creatures on it almost seemed real. They formed a circle, each of them taking up one half, one white, one black. The white one was a water dragon with blue sapphires for eyes, and the other one looked strangely like Krai, but with yellow gems as its eyes.

“Now,” chuckled the old lady, “what do you really know about dragons?”

“Nothing,” scoffed Darsan. “They are just our dragons, that’s it!”

“Those are such perfect representations of dragons,” muttered Naptunie, completely captivated by the mosaic. “This one really looks like Sir Dragon!”

“An Earth Dragon,” nodded Aglithia. “The Sea Dragon is made of nacre, the earth one of obsidian. Dragons can be of any color, though, can’t they?”

Cessilia faintly nodded.

“Mine’s yellow!” exclaimed Darsan, winking at Nana. “He looks like a nice curry beignet!”

“How…? What is th-this?” Cessilia finally asked, turning to Elder Olea. “I d-don’t understand.”

The old lady smiled gently.

“This is our prayer room to the Ancient Dragon Gods. These two dragons here are not like the dragons of your family, Princess. They represent the very first dragons that came to this continent, thousands of years ago. Dragons that were much, much more powerful, ancient and large. The first and only, the original Dragon Gods. It is a very old tale to most, but to our clan and family, it is a precious legend that shall never be forgotten.”

She stepped closer to the mosaic, staring at it fondly.

“This piece of art is merely a representation, a reminder of our family’s devotion to the Ancient Dragon Gods. Even as time goes by, we keep transmitting this epic legend that has become our family’s pillar. We are the guardians of a history that shall never be engraved, written, or kept anywhere but in our minds.”

She turned to them, and slowly, with her granddaughter’s help, sat down on the cushions. Naptunie glanced toward the siblings but, noticing that neither of them had moved or intended to sit, she didn’t try to either. Neither did Aglithia, who simply stood next to her grandmother.

“As I said,” continued the old lady, “this legend goes back many, many centuries, when there was only this vast piece of land and the sea surrounding it. The first two creatures to be born were a pair of dragons. One dragon was born from the earth’s core, the other dragon came from the depths of the sea. They were a pair, but neither siblings, nor mates. Their bond went far beyond those human concepts. They were gods, paired for eternity.”

Cessilia’s eyes went to the mosaic on the wall. The dragons were represented facing each other, in a circle. For someone who knew dragons, their position was one that two dragons would have taken when playing together...

“For a very long time, the two dragons were free and alone to roam the continent and play in the vast sea. One day, a group of men and women came to this continent, crossing the sea and reaching the shore. They had come from far, far away, to find a new land to call home. It was the first time the dragons met humans, and the opposite was also true. They couldn’t understand each other, but they soon realized the other was intelligent and kind. For the first time, men and dragons became friends and allies. They observed each other, discovering the secrets of a new kind and learning from one another. The one thing that dragons were bewildered by the most was the humans’ ability to mate and procreate. The two dragons had been alone together for centuries... they had never imagined having a progeny. One had been born from the earth, the other from the sea. Yet, humans were not only reproducing, but as time went on, the dragons saw generations and generations of them being born. They became fascinated with the humans, and began to wish to have their own offspring, as well. However, as powerful as they were, the Dragon Gods had been born with no ability to procreate themselves. So, they set off to find a solution, roaming the continent and seas in hopes of finding an answer. Sadly, they found none. Instead, they witnessed all the other kinds of creatures in the world giving birth to their own offspring, and became more and more desperate to have their own.”

“That is so sad for them...” muttered Nana, completely absorbed by the story. “To see it for centuries but not be able to have their own...”

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